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Like many people who are self-employed and own their own business DeLona and I both have other jobs and sources of income to supplement our work with Small Planet. DeLona, among other things is a certified Doula, or birth coach. She is an amazing support and advocate for local birthing moms. This weekend is the Gorge Birth Weekend at the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River. Friday & Saturday nights there will be a free viewing of the movie, The Business of Being Born and all day Saturday free workshops on a topics such as Childbirth Choices and Newborn News & Baby Planning.
As we coordinate work schedules at the shop for DeLona to attend the event I can't help but reminisce a moment on the birth stories of my own two boys. Diego, was born 10 years ago at the local birth center. His father, my parents, DeLona as my doula, and my midwife were all present and I needed every single one of them for his slow but steady birth. I remember the desire to escape from my body and visualized being as far away as possible on a mountaintop. Julio, now 4, was born at home on a rainy night - so rainy that my midwife traveling from Portland missed his arrival. He was 3 weeks early and came quickly. Most of the household slept though it. Thankfully DeLona was there to assist. Familiar with the sensations, this time around I planned a birthing tub, prepared with meditation and instead of escaping went inside.
Some say that your birth story defines you early on. I believe there are many influences and experiences that define us at every stage of life - some we choose, some we don't, some we grow out of or grow into, and many we create for ourselves. It is true that Diego is my even keeled, take his time, steady as a rock child and Julio is my anything goes, sweet and stormy, wild card child. I myself was born in the era of hospital nurseries where row upon row of babies were kept warm in little incubation beds and fathers were not allowed in the delivery room. I've been told I was a most expressive and determined baby - crying the loudest and the longest for my mom so that the nurses got in the habit of delivering me to my food source first and picking me up last. Somehow those traits of determined recognition of what I needed and going after it did not stay with me into childhood and early adulthood. Now in my 4th decade I'm thinking this is the perfect time to take that persona back as I move into a new era of growing into my power and moving forward.
Karen
